Medef (largest employer federation in France) is launching, in collaboration with representatives of financial institutions (EIB-EIF, FBF, FFA, AFG, AFIC, France Fintech and Finance Participative France) Medef Investment Accelerator (MAI) to bring SMEs closer to financing tailored to their growth needs.
This platform targets small and medium-sized profitable companies – with a turnover of between 1 million and 100 million euros – to help them find long-term financing from investment funds. MAI’s objective is to generate 500 million euros of financing for 500 companies per year.
This initiative is a triple innovation:
- Mobilisation of the Medef network (made up of professional federations and regional and territorial organisations), which will accompany companies in their search for financing;
- Launch of a digital platform that will link the financing needs expressed by companies with partner financial organisations, likely to provide financing, and with support and training solutions, notably with BPI University and “Ambition PME Levée de fonds”, a program implemented by Medef AURA with the support of the AURA Regional Council.
- Mobilisation of the financing business lines, in particular large investors such as insurance companies, which, alongside the EIB providing guarantees, will provide businesses with more stable and long-term resources.
The first 6 major investors to join the MAI initiative are Lyxor, Siparex, Tikehau, Idinvest and Eiffel as well as the Lendix SME lending platform.
With a dynamic network of SMEs and large groups present all over the world, France is in dire need of medium-sized companies, businesses that are the wealth and strength of countries such as Germany. This lack in our economic model has a strong impact on competitiveness and employment; it largely explains the decline in our employment pools.
Mostly financed by abundant and cheap bank credits that banks implement through a dense network of local branches throughout the country, SMEs sometimes also need additional financing to allow their business to grow permanently.
To grow, our SMEs must transform themselves by adapting to the digital environment, developing their capacities and productivity, innovating in technologies and products, exporting to the world and conquering new markets. This transformation cannot be achieved without accelerating tangible and intangible investment.
For Pierre Gattaz, President of Medef:”We are convinced that together, as entrepreneurs, bankers and insurers, we can provide concrete support to SMEs in their growth. We need to build a new confidence supporting the investment that is driving growth and jobs in our country.”